Wire-end bending attachment for drawing blocks



Get 153-, 1949. c. F. GLENNON 2,485,045

WIRE-END BENDING ATTACHMENT FOR DRAWING BLOCKS Filed May 6, 1948 FlELi- FIG :1. r V INVENTOR.

(ma P15 f aZf/v/va/z Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Charles F. Glennon, Donor-a, Pa., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jere sey, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 6, 1948, Serial No. 25,496

Y 2 Claims. (01. 15340) This invention relates to an attachment for wire-drawing blocks adapted to bend the tail end of the length of wire being drawn, closely around the block.

In using ordinary wire-drawing blocks for the reduction of heavy-gauge wire, i. e., A" or above in diameter, a piece of stock at the tail end of the length being drawn is left straight since the tension which causes the preceding portion of the length to bend around the block is released when the extreme end passes through the die. The length of the straight piece is the distance between the die and the point of tangency to the block which may be from 18" to 30". It cannot be .bent by hand to the curvature of the coil after removal of the latter from the block because of the heavy gauge of the stock and it must be cut off, therefore, to avoid the safety hazard incident to further handling of the coil as well as to permit proper tying of the coil in a bundle after removal by the usual stripper. The length cut off is scrap and represents a substantial loss when accumulated over a period of time, particularly in the heavier gauges.

I have invented an attachment adapted to cooperate with a drawing block for bending the end of the length, i. e., the portion between the block and die when the end emerges from the die, to the same curvature as the turns of the coil built up on the block. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment comprises a lever pivoted to the draw bench for angular movement in the plane of the top thereof. An arm extending transversely of the lever has a pair of bending rolls journaled thereon for cooperation with the drawing block to bend the tail end of a length of wire around the latter. The lever may be manually shifted to move the rolls toward or away from the block and I provide means for holding the lever in operative position. The arm is adjustable on the lever to make it coact properly with blocks of different sizes.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of the apparatus according'te the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof; and

Figure 3 is a partial section taken along the plane of line III .III of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the invention is there illustrated as applied to a draw bench l having a drawing block ll mounted Zil 2 thereon for rotation about a vertical aXis and provided with suitable means for driving it, such as a motor and appropriate gearing (not shown).

The block Ii serves, when driven, to draw a wire I2 secured thereto, through a die mounted in a holder Hi. This much of the apparatus shown is conventional in the wire-drawing art and forms no part of my invention.

My novel bending attachment comprises a lever i l pivoted at id to an angle bracket 1 5 for angular movement in the plane of the top of the draw bench. An arm it extends transversely of the lever l4 being secured thereto by a through bolt IT for limited pivotal movement. As shown, the bolt passes through aligned holes in lever l4 and a branch Hi thereon forming a clevis, and one of a series of holes [8 through the arm. The arm 16 is of T-shape and has bending rolls l9 journaled at the ends of the cross-member thereof for cooperation with the lower flanged edge of the block H. The holes I8 permit adjustment of the arm on the lever for proper cooperation of the bending rolls with drawing blocks of different diameters.

As shown in Figure 3, the rolls [9 and the lower flanged edge of the block define a bending pass effective to cause that portion of the tail end of the wire which is left free after the extreme end passes through the die, to conform to the curvature of the coil formed from the portion of the length of wire previously drawn. The rolls l9 may be. ordinarily retracted from the block, if desired, being advanced into cooperative relation therewith just before the extreme end of the length of wire being drawn approaches the .die. Alternatively, the bending rolls may be caused to engage the wire as soon as the drawing of the length has been started.

A handle or gripping portion 2!] is formed on the free end of the lever I l. The portion of the lever adjacent the handle is adapted to travel over a gauge plate 2! having rows of holes 22 therein, the holes of each row being staggered relative to the holes of the other rows. A pin 23 removably inserted in one of the holes secures the lever in such position as to maintain the cooperative relaticn of the rolls l9 with the block. After the tail end portion of a length of wire being drawn has been bent to the curvature of the coil, the pin 23 is removed and the lever l4 released. Thereafter the coil of wire on the block is removed by the usual stripper and is then tied in a bundle for further processing, storage or shipment.

It will be apparent that the invention provides a simple, inexpensive and easily manipulated yet efiective means for avoiding the difficulty and loss heretofore involved in cutting ofi the tail end of a length of wire left straight after the extreme end passes the reducing die. My attachment does not interfere with the normal operation of the drawing block since the bending rolls maybe withdrawn from the block quickly and easily. The adjustment of the bending rolls to and from operative position takes but a moment and requires no skill. The .bending rolls are easily adjustable for different sizes of draw blocks by virtue of the series of holes in the arm I6.

Although I have illustrated and described but a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that changes in the details and arrangement disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

'1. An attachment for a wire-drawing block comprising means for supporting one end of a lever adjacent a wire-drawing block, said lever being disposed along side said block and pivoted comprising means for supporting one end of a lever adjacent a wire-drawing block, said lever being disposed along side said block and pivoted to said supporting means at about the level of the bottom of the block for oscillation in a plane normal to the axis of the block, an arm extending transversely of and supported by said lever, a pair of bending rolls journaled on said arm in spaced relation around the block and positioned at said level to engage the portion of a length of wire approaching the block adjacent the point of tangency therewith and bend it therearound.

CHARLES F. GLENNON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 20,128 Pitcher Apr. 27, 1858 185,514 Fogelsong Dec. 19, 1876 359,205 Curtis Mar. 8, 1887 657,878 Kirk Sept. 11, 1900 823,765. Conklin June 19, 1906 1,094,676 Mountford Apr. 28, 1914 1,387,169 Pierson Aug. 9, 1921 1,810,270 Erdmann June 16, 1931 2,257,645 Pierce Sept. 30, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country v Date 428,980 France July 4, 1911 550,168 France Dec. 7, 1922- 61,!969 Switzerland Aug. 13, 1912 

